Put on your hiking boots and follow the fully arranged route of the Heuvelrug hike, through the quintessentially Dutch push moraine landscape of the entire Heuvelrug. The trek begins on the shores of the Gooimeer in Huizen and ends 92 hiking kilometers later at the foot of the Grebbeberg, just past Rhenen. Five stages lead you over unpaved paths and cart tracks along heathlands, sand drifts, and forests. Along the way, you will encounter characteristic farms, stately castles, picturesque villages, and estates. Immerse yourself completely in the surroundings and nature for a few days.
Discover nature in a completely different way
The Heuvelrug hike is the only continuous walking route across the entire Heuvelrug. You can walk the stages in seven days or hike them separately. All start and end points are easily accessible by car and public transport. However, the route can only be followed via the 'SNP Routes' app, which provides additional information about nature in many places. Which birds, insects, and plants live here and how the landscape has been formed over the centuries.
If you book the complete package, you’ll literally be under a roof every night and your luggage will be transported. This way, you can intensely enjoy this unique adventure.
In the footsteps of nuns, princesses and other nobility
During the second stage, you walk through the regal forests of the Hooge and Lage Vuursche. A succession of old estates interspersed with production forests and old, wet, and lower-lying peatlands. From prehistoric burial mounds through peat-winning monasteries in the Middle Ages to stories of the affluent from the 19th century. It is a royal journey, where the landscape connects different periods in history.
In the Footsteps of the French
During the third stage, you journey back in time. To an era when Napoleon's soldiers used the heath near Zeist as a base to set up their tents. The space and the clean drinking water made this place so attractive. In the landscape and in our society, you can still see the traces of the French. For example, they laid the foundation for our parliamentary democracy. But the greatest visible reminder is the village of Austerlitz and the famous pyramid located at the highest point of the national park. The monument was built in 1804, as a tribute to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Visit the Pyramid of Austerlitz
The Pyramid of Austerlitz often tops the list of well-known attractions in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park. Those up for a climb can ascend the pyramid to the base of the obelisk, which is about 33 meters high. The view is unparalleled! Younger visitors have also been considered, with a playground and the Lunapark, complete with bumper cars, carousels, a little train, and much more. Both are free to access and guarantee hours of play fun.